France Announces Plans to Decriminalize Marijuana

According to reports, Minister of the Interior Gérard Collomb revealed the country's plans to decriminalize possession of cannabis last week. Instead of prosecution and imprisonment, marijuana users would be slapped with a simple fine and citation.

Apparently, this could go into effect as as early as September.

Current laws are among the harshest in all of Europe, with charges of possession of cannabis for personal use carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or €7.5 million fine ($8.4m).

President Emmanuel Macron had previously stated that penalties for cannabis possession would likely be a fine of €100 ($111)... a much lighter sentence.

The UNSA Police union, which has long advocated for change in cannabis policy, has said that marijuana arrests are time-consuming and not effective in combating drug trafficking.

Other Western European countries who have already decriminalized cannabis possession include Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands.